Comments on: U2 manager: 'Ultimately free is the enemy of good'

ISPs are doing more to protect copyright music and movies than ever but it's not good enough for Paul McGuinness, the outspoken manager of U2.

[c-n-e-t]

U2 sucks.

[screamapillar]

For all those that think this issue is about wanting something for free, you have missed the entire point of the debate. You are missing the entire reason piracy is so big and growing. It is attitudes like "they just wanting something for nothing" that is perpetuating piracy and the angst against recording studios/distributors.

Copyright legislation was designed to allow for "fair use" and increase the capacity to innovate and create more. Organisations like the RIAA have extended the copyright limitations and exploited the legislation and other statutes far beyond their original intentions to the point that many of the arguments being used by the RIAA/MPAA are unrecognisable in the context of the legislation and rationale given for the introduction of the legislation. Fair use is being eroded away by these organisations in favour of a scenario where these innovations are being withheld from the public.

All the claims around piracy being lost sales and "theft" are again an attempt to mislead. First, in legal terms, piracy is copyright infringement not theft. It is comparable to a parking infringement, not comparable to someone stuffing the CD into their jacket and sneaking past the door sensors.

Lost sales from free usage? So radio clearly hurt sales. Music videos hurt sales - that's why the music industry spends so much money on making music videos, because they hurt sales. Despite being accessed for free, they are clearly bad. Oh and libraries - man, books are dead because of libraries.

Did you know that at a library you get the exact same book you could buy at a store, but for free? Did you know that they don't give you one with faded text to force you to buy the better quality print? Did you know they don't give you a book that can only be read in your living room - nope, you can read that book anywhere you want!! Wow, and you just 'borrowed' that book!! And it is up to you if you want to buy it.

Libraries have not hurt books, they help them. Sharing books around hasn't hurt books, it helps their sales. Book clubs don't hurt books, it increases the sales. Come on guys, learn from an industry that has been around a VERY long time and is surviving the digital age quite comfortably despite being a comparatively archaic media.

On another note...

ISPs are service providers, no different to electricity/gas and telephone providers. If you have a court order - meaning you have due cause and adequate initial evidence to convince a judge to suspect illegal behaviour, then you already CAN have the ISP track/log data for you. What you and the RIAA et al are asking for is to be able to breach people's privacy and civil liberties for the sake of your profit margin - something that has a cost far greater than any level of piracy. You are asking for the ability to punish people that you - who have a biased stake in the result - have accused of an act without due cause and/or due process/defence. This is disproportionate to the impact of the infringements that are occurring and the only other area we hear for calls of this level of rights violations is for sexual predators of children (in which in some areas they are named/tracked etc after release from prison).

In closing...

Free isn't good huh? Yes, there are many organisations that think that. Let's look at a scenario where organisations are exploiting similar legislation on patent protections.

The WHO is currently (and has been for some time) fighting for free vaccines/medicines for nations whose people cannot afford the extortionist prices the companies charge for them. The company makes plenty of money for these medicines to pay for their research off the back of the richer countries, but still, uses their clout to get the US to Veto any attempt for the UN/WHO to distribute these medicines, even at reduced rates. These are sovereign nations that whose people are starving and dying and yet they have to obey a US patent.

Funny that U2 lobbied for free vaccines for these countries... did you mention to Bono at one of his many live aid concert appearances that Free isn't good? I'm sure he would've fired you, as is appropriate as his representative that should understand withholding medicine from dying people is wrong. Withholding art from the people with no capacity for fair use is wrong.

[vhuskey]

bono did come out and made remarks distancing himself from mc g. on this issue. but he did say it's more for other acts than theirs the push is for. obviously, u2 aren't complaining they want more money, they give away to charities out of their own pockets, not including their concerts, songs given proceeds to, hundreds of mil.s$

[screamapillar]

yes, vhuskey he did. Hence my point here that Mr McManager over here should stop trying to push his own agenda using U2 as his backdrop when they don't even support his view.

McG is cut because the new model that is being developed cuts people like him out - he is obselete and he knows it. He is greedy and refuses to admit it, so instead, over-simplifies a complex issue and demonises everyone else.

Oh yes, it is the WHOLE world at fault and not him. No, traditions are always correct, it couldnt' be that he needs to change. Oh, no, we've never seen a time where tradition was wrong have we? /end sarcasm

[skintmuso13]

"Fair use is being eroded away by these organisations in favour of a scenario where these innovations are being withheld from the public."
Your definition of fairuse presumely includes the likes of TPB, who are funded and make money for fascists & pornmongers, by theiving from artists, only a small % of whom actually make more than a living wage.
its ok when big corps like google or ISP exploit artists and give nothing back, at least labels pay artist advances and promote the music.


"It is comparable to a parking infringement,"
If it was then you pay a fine... you lot aren't prepared to pay anything any time..which makes you criminal

"Lost sales from free usage? So radio clearly hurt sales. Music videos hurt sales "
neither provide copies of the music that labels are trying to sell.

"What you and the RIAA et al are asking for is to be able to breach people's privacy and civil liberties for the sake of your profit margin"
Its not in anyone interests, nor affordable to sue everyone. but when widespread theft & copying is going on, why are you worrried if your not stealing? If your really worried about data loss, there are far worse infringers like the government

[screamapillar]

jlmc727 wrote: "I would really like to know how many of you THIEVES and yes that is what you are, will work and support themselves without getting paid."

1. Piracy is not theft. It is copyright infringment. Please get your facts straight before you make such accusations. You wonder why people don't want these scenarios where the ISP/music industry can choose/accuse who to cut from the net based on suspician and then you say things like that - it is that very same mentality that you are willing to make baseless, false accusations, that is why people resist. Please check your statutes. Infringment of an Act is not a crime unless specifically mentioned in the Crimes Act, which copyright infringment is not, hence the RIAA has to sue for damages. If it were a crime, then this would not be required, just like you don't sue if murder has occured, the State manages it. Why? Murder is a crime. No need for civilian bodies to pursue.

2. I volunteer a great deal of my time for charitible organisations. This costs a great deal of my time and resources but I do it for the greater good. I can do this because, of course, I also have a paid job. Ergo, my paid job supplements my capacity to offer my resources and services to those that still deserve food/help but perhaps can't access it as easily as I can.

Music will make money, as all art/innovation will, if it is good (and often even when it sucks). There is a certain amount of access occuring without royalties to the artist but to automatically assume this is automatically to the detriment of the music industry is ignorant in the extreme. You are suggesting that libraries are bad for books. That me reading a good book and lending it to a friend is a bad thing. Evidence and author opinion of book clubs, libraries and sharing books differ greatly with your view.

[vhuskey]

#2 i............................i also have a PAID JOB,....

you get paid for the work you do, ahh, there's the rub.

[screamapillar]

LMAO you completely missed the point didn't you?

I get paid for my job. Yes. So do artists. I also work for no pay. So why shouldn't artists?

It is called redistribution of wealth.

[skintmuso13]

"I also work for no pay. So why shouldn't artists?"

If you knew anything about the music biz, you'd know that its so competative, most artist spend most of their time not getting paid or on under minimum wage. as they struggle for success.
Most of you ppl who are so happy to enjoy artist work, but not pay for it justify it by saying artist are rich anyway, when maybe 0.5 % of musicians actually get to have hits, and that the only have hits for a year or 2 at most. So the vast majority of artists don't do well financially, as is the case for most of the music industry.

In the UK a recent survey showed the 95% of the industry earn under £40k, and loads of labels, publishers and distributors and shops are going out of business now whilst google make $15 billion profit PA and the telecoms companies make fortunes from broadband connections, despite their obligation not to promote copyright infringement which they base their business models on.

I'm not looking for sympathy in this forum of all place with so many haters around, but get real whose going to fund new artists,without labels, and new artist don't make money on the road, so touring doesn't help them.
You want dross look at all the rubbish on myspace - 10 milion odd bands most of whom youve never heard of, and never will. You'll argue that the label's are rubbish, and marketing is an unecessary "middleman" cost, but the reality is thats what you want, that's what you steal, and now more than ever , with so much dross around you need to spend money ( which mainly the labels have) to cut thru the available crap.

A lot of you say that you want undiscovered fresh talent your capable of finding yourself. but you cant be arsed looking yourself, with out a label or mgt. co to point you in the right direction.
Its been proved again and again that online sales charts are broadly similar to illegal download charts profile.
But you pay peanuts you get monkeys

For the past 10 years I've heard loads of reasons why ppl don't want to pay for music, it cost too much, its not available, none of it goes to artist, Artist are scum, labels are scum, the music business is scum everything online should be free, etc all of which can now, be proved to be wrong and and soon as one argument is dispelled another pops up.
You complain about the biz, when have you haters done anything for music apart from steal it?

When have you ever worked with artists or helped musicians, or risked promoted a good show, or put your money on the line to entertain others? you upload some top 5 artist onto a filesharing site, and think your doing the artist a favour because you've stolen their work and passed it on to 20+ other people..yeah right

The fact of the matter is you can get away with stealing for now, so you do it.

However you choose to justify your theft, is fine, if that salvages your peanut sized consience.

Your still a thief.

[vhuskey]

everyone's mad because they think u2 are money hungery. you just want to get it all for free! that's THEFT! but you guys think backwards because YOU ARE JEALOUS OF U2! if they were money hungery, why do they continue to give more to charity than most anyone in the world? over $200,000,000.00! and they continue to give and are right now giving, still. but it's never enough to please thier critics, you'll find some other lame way to try to lessen thier accomplishments.
i myself and i'm certain that if i worked all year on a project i was a specialist for, and at the end, people came and took off with the merchandise, i'd have a right to complain, or even call the police. would you like to go on friday to get you paycheck, and not get one, and still have to work each week without pay from now on?
i think they should put no record out at all, and the only way to hear the new songs would to be at a live concert. they could charge a grand per seat and get it. but i'm too late! they are charging some of the lowest prices so all fans can come and rock on.

[ogman]

"Ultimately free is the enemy of the greedy, insatiable wealthy."

There, fixed that for you. What a scumbag!

[vhuskey]

whatever way you recieve money, a paycheck every friday, or social security, whatever, if you take the check you earned, cash it and own it., does that make you a hypocrite? do you really think people who work years on the job, and retire and if they recieve the pension they worked for are scumbags?
the recording industry is responsible for way more than the few jobs it takes to record something. countless people are no longer working in the industry. don't you people get it? use your imagination.

[1976alex]

The personification of everyone who works in the music industry as "middlemen jerks" is ludicrous. It takes investment (and talent) to make quality recordings. It takes teams of people to market and promote bands nationally and internationally. Hands up - I work in the music business.

Paul McGuinness is right to say that if we take an axe (hands up again - I'm British) to the rights of creators, be they the artists, songwriters or producers, then we risk a music world which is basically the equivalent of the audition round of 'Idol'. There are more than 2 million hip hop acts on MySpace and nearly as many rock acts. That's a lot for anyone at home to plough through to sort the wheat from the chaff. It would be nice to think that talent would just "out" by word of mouth, but it doesn't work like that - that's why artists want to sign deals with record labels, large or small.

Yes, artists make a lot of money through live tours - but what ensures they are well enough known to sell out national or international tours - the records they put out. Record labels, large and small, are still the largest investors in artists.

And record labels, large and small, do "get it". They have inked deals with services like We7, Spotify, 7Digital, AmazonMP3, Sony Ericsson, iTunes, YouTube and many more. You can get music online or through your mobile phone through a huge range of different services. The one thing all of them have in common, whether you pay at the point of use or not, is that they put money back into the music community, ensuring the sales and royalties of today's artists can be invested in the talent of tomorrow.

[Len Bullard]

"The personification of everyone who works in the music industry as "middlemen jerks" is ludicrous."

Yes but to be in a business which seeks to eliminate competition through legislation and threatens the average customer while still enabling cleans in the markets where it can deal in cash below the table is incompetent and by the way, illegal. The machine that sets the deal as low as it can for the artists in the initial contracts forcing them to renegotiate every year is all elbows.

How does the song go: "Music industry, that is what we are, no one in between, everyone's a star, and we'll lie to each other uh huh while we call each other brother, uh huh"

Been to the Bluebird in Nashville lately? Heard the speech where the fellow tells all the songwriters that he and the wait staff (mostly kids in goth managing the world's most famous country songwriting vendue) that they all better be polite and tip well because most of them own publishing companies?

Sure do miss Amy who built the Bluebird by honoring the artists, helping them to develop, instead of forcing them to stand next to the bathroom door, refusing to let them order water, and treating them like cattle who should swoon for their opportunity.

Instead of defending the status quo, rework your business model to get rid of the middlemen who add no value to the quality of the transaction. The reality is your ships are sinking and if you don't do what it takes to stay afloat, you drown. This isn't right or wrong; it's the nature of things that have no buoyancy in deep water.

And your boats are sinking. OTW, Paul wouldn't be making that speech. The trouble with his speech is all he is defending is his own social network's access to resources which he then uses to deny others. No, the enemy of good isn't free; it is talentless management who have learned everything about the game and almost nothing about the creative process or the relationships art has with an audience. He is showing the same understanding as the character on WiseGuy who ends up alone in his emptying mansion dressed in leather and pretending to be Elvis.

It isn't just the industry in trouble here. It is culture. It has found a way for all levels to have access and too many of you grads of the industry mills are reacting to that the way the medical associations act to online medical informationm journalists react to blogs and so on. Adapt or die.

[skintmuso13]

"Yes but to be in a business which seeks to eliminate competition through legislation"

Music is one or the most competative industries as it is before digital copyright theft, so that argument is thin.

"The machine that sets the deal as low as it can for the artists in the initial contracts forcing them to renegotiate every year is all elbows. "
Its down to competition. and these deals whether good or bad spend money on artists whether by advances or marketing creating demand fro artist, which they can leverage into income in other areas, which is why they are always and still highly sought after.

It funny that the deals offered by digital companies are usually worse than those offered by traditional labels. and even if the business terms are better, then the quality of business smarts, marketing skills etc offered to artists is usually extremely poor.

But then that logic doesnt give you a get out for theft does it?

[abbe09]

The lack of morality that McG points out is simply being played out on these comments. I mean, really, you expect someone to create something for free just for you?..and not get paid?? Phhhlease...how about this, I'll come by your place tonight while you are sleepping and take your car. No really, I'll bring it back when I am done. No difference here. Musicians create. This is their livelihood. They own their songs. It's what they do. Have enough respect for their work to pay for it. Is a whole 99 cents really gonna break your bank? It's only a buck, what the f**k. If not, then just leave the keys on the mat. I'll be sure to get your car back to you at some point.

[ofmyony]

No that's stealing were talking about sharing. It's not illegal for me to share my car.

[skintmuso13]

"It's not illegal for me to share my car."

buts it's illegal for you to share my car without my permission.

[pj-mckay]

Lets be serious.. U2 have had their day, and great days they were.

BUT.. their last offering was a pile of **** not worth paying for. I do buy some of the stuff I download believe it or not.. when I think it's worth paying for or want a full copy rather than mp3. Mr McGuiness probably realises he'd have got more bucks if nobody had heard it first !

And besides that; we're all fed up with paying big bucks for a CD. Why can a multi-million dollar production come out on DVD at much the same price as a two-bit band that often only has two or three tracks worth listening too ? It makes no sense and suggesting they can force us to buy is absurd in this day and age. Even if they do block torrents and such like , the data will simply be exported via another channel in no time at all. It's a pointless argument; and tackiling the problem from the wrong angle.

[skintmuso13]

Why can a multi-million dollar production come out on DVD at much the same price as a two-bit band that often only has two or three tracks worth listening too ?

be they all have different costs to produce. if you dont want to pay don't steal. or are you saying that If I come round and offer you $1 for your phone or your jacket, and you refuse because you dont like the price, then I should be able to steal it?

[subterraneancinema]

Paul McGuinness is a blithering idiot and a leech. I just paid over $150 for a prime ticket to see U2 in Vegas ... I dont mind paying it at all, because Ive been wanting to see them for over 25 years (most intensely during the ZooTV tour, which I still think was probably the greatest rock concert of all time). The members of U2 are rich many lifetimes over, and their ancestors wont have to worry about finances for at least a few generations even if everything else that the band does from this point on (including the new tour) is a massive financial flop, unlike the majority of us who still have to scratch out a weekly existence (and who sometimes get a break from our generally boring lives to experience big exciting events, like a U2 concert).



Im so sick of hearing this fat arrogant swine squealing and whining about piracy. He's become a mega millionaire on the coattails of this band without a shred of musical talent. At least Brian Epstein had the good sense to die at the proper time. I hope McG chokes on his sushi and caviar one of these days, I certainly wouldnt mourn the loss. McGuinness is not a "5th member of U2", he's ... a big mouth who got a lucky break that he wasnt worthy of, unlike the actual band members who I dont begrudge their wealth (or adding my contribution to it) because they have earned it by creating some of the greatest music of all time. Consider the source, and dont give this weasel any more media space for his hollow and vapid complaints.
[CNET editor's note: Offensive comment deleted.]

[luke_marsh]

Why don't they try and make something good. Look here flipping fat cat beep Today to produce a top end movie it cost a damn fortune and still the good bits of the movie industry here in Cali for nI A manage to find time for the up and coming works. Your idea of work is your gigs and if your work is good people pay to see your gigs. The way your behaving you think we should all pay film costs for low def low quality music types of a pre-recorded nature. There is nothing wrong with free. The best thing for music is the ability to buy music from free streams to have person collections and to pay to see good music both of which most people are willing to do if they like the good work and hence free is not the enemy of good it gets stuff out there and give good works a chance for fans to buy into. Free does however collectively stomp on greedy record makers who want to rule the world. Free lets some people have collections who can't afford stuff but we all know that if we like something a lot we should contribute. Ain't nothing wrong with free mr greedy man who would let poorer people have no access to the world. I know what i've got to say to you and I can't print it up here.

[luke_marsh]

Why don't they try and make something good. Look here flipping fat cat beep Today to produce a top end movie it cost a damn fortune and still the good bits of the movie industry here in Cali for nI A manage to find time for the up and coming works. Your idea of work is your gigs and if your work is good people pay to see your gigs. The way your behaving you think we should all pay film costs for low def low quality music types of a pre-recorded nature. There is nothing wrong with free. The best thing for music is the ability to buy music from free streams to have person collections and to pay to see good music both of which most people are willing to do if they like the good work and hence free is not the enemy of good it gets stuff out there and give good works a chance for fans to buy into. Free does however collectively stomp on greedy record makers who want to rule the world. Free lets some people have collections who can't afford stuff but we all know that if we like something a lot we should contribute. Ain't nothing wrong with free mr greedy man who would let poorer people have no access to the world. I know what i've got to say to you and I can't print it up here.

[luke_marsh]

Hi there people of 2-3mb/s worth NTSCy land with your o so particular Processor types, 1000 man team per aimless jet plus your crappy adverts I say you because I don't see anyone else making ads that bad. year anyway good music what's that sound like. If you want to find at least some music try a P2P package and if you want to connect in with other Peers well always search first for U2, It's fast to type in and connects you up well. It works for me after that mind you might want to see if you can't find some better music though.

[Maccess]

I'd be interested in hearing Mr. McGuinness ideas on monetizing Internet and digital distribution of music. So far, only one has been very successful-- Steve Jobs and the itunes music store. There have also been some less known but significant successes monetizing digital distribution, mostly of independent artists and rare back catalogs.

[subterraneancinema]

As much as I despise Paul McGoofy and his overbearingly clueless opinions about file sharing, I have to strongly disagree with those who are also saying that the new U2 album 'sucks' ... I like it alot, much more than I did the last two U2 albums, especially the horrible "All That You Cant Leave Behind", which is the one CD of theirs that I would be happy to leave behind. Ive never played it beyond the first day it was released, when I rushed to the music store on premiere day (as I did when all of their albums hit the stores), bought it excitedly, took it home ... and got the biggest disappointment in over 25 years as a very loyal U2 fan. It was depressing and boring and weak and whiny and churchy and vapid, with the exception of 2-3 songs (so naturally it went on to become a huge seller for them, proving once again that most people's musical taste is in their posterior).

"How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" was a little better, but still not very good (though it did have the stunningly brilliant "Crumbs from your Table"). I didnt try to attend the last two tours because I didnt want to hear them performing a set of limp pop songs from albums that I mostly hated. However, the new album is a return (at last) to the eerie and surrealistic Eno/Lanois sound of their 80s era, and that's why I finally broke down and paid for a ticket to their Vegas show in October. I like "No Line" very much, and I look forward to hearing several songs from it in concert, especially "Magnificent", "Ill Go Crazy If I Dont Go Crazy Tonight", and "Breathe" (which all sounded great when performed on Letterman) ... also, I hope the hauntingly beautiful "Fez Being Born" is performed, I really love that song. It was originally slated to be the album's opening track (and I wish they had left it that way) ... Id like to see them open the show with it, but Ill be happy enough if they just play it at all.

Anyway, with all that said, it doesnt change the fact that Paul McGuinness is a cretinous worm. ;)

[subterraneancinema]

One last thing: the word "suck" should be retired for good at this point, especially when criticizing music or films. Twenty years ago, a song called "My Life Would Suck Without You" would have been written by Frank Zappa and performed by Moon Unit with tongue firmly planted in cheek, fer shure ... now its considered a serious statement of romantic commitment to a generation raised on American Idol. And people who use the term "sucky" in ANY context deserve a Sicilian necktie. lol ...

[ofmyony]

free is good, stealing is bad. So if you don't steal how is free the enemy of good?

[kellysontheroad]

Paul just doesn't get it. We DID "willingly go to the movie studios and the music companies and say this is how we can collect money from the people who are listening to your stuff and watching your movies" - they wouldn't talk. That was almost a decade ago.

In any case it's not about money - as a consumer I have more money than I need. It's about control. I will not pay for something and then be told how to use it and who I can share it with.

[skintmuso13]

"I will not pay for something and then be told how to use it and who I can share it with."

so that gives you the right to steal it?
If you don't like the price, why don't you buy something else?

[btalex1990]

Now heres some more moral questions.

Why pay to get on the internet if theres nothing free and I have to pay more? I believe thats why many to all wants to get on the internet, to pay to download, send free emails, and access forums for free and more. If all of the sudden all of online were to be a store where everything costs people would just use cell phones for email or texting and leave the internet.

Also I don't want to pay any artist for something that has no value. Thats why so many people pirate because in a way the RIAA is cheating us people, because when you buy a CD, sure you might only like 2 or 3 songs on it, you get some form of property which makes the cd worth some money in case you didn't like it anymore and decided to sell it, now a digital download or digital song/mp3 there is absolutely no value (especially with DRM, NO VALUE!!!!) in any digital downloads except that it is knowledge and when DRM is cracked it can archived and stored in your personal library of Alexaandria forever.

BUT those who say downloading copyrighted music is stealing is completely wrong.

Heres the reasons why.

1. Digital content doesn't take or deprive property, it's just making a copy of it but doesn't actully remove any bits or bytes
2. Digital music has no value, it is just a way to scam people into giving up their hard earned money for digital files that can easily be destroyed by a computer virus.
3. People pay to get on the internet, and people are fine with viewing advertisements or banners for free stuff but having to pay to get online just to pay more is stupid.

If I had to pay to get on the Internet just to pay more then I rather go to a used book/CD store and shop at my close by Walmart, use dialup, or somebodies internet cafe just to shop cause it's a waste to pay more after you already paid just to be online.

[btalex1990]

* to not pay to download, send free emails, and access

oops sorry for the typo

[skintmuso13]

"Digital music has no value, it is just a way to scam people into giving up their hard earned money for digital files that can easily be destroyed by a computer virus. "

you try creating something that can be digitised, and tell me if thats stil the way you feel.
It has no value to you, because you can get away with stealing it.

[skintmuso13]

"Digital music has no value, it is just a way to scam people into giving up their hard earned money for digital files that can easily be destroyed by a computer virus. "

you try creating something that can be digitised, and tell me if thats stil the way you feel.
It has no value to you, because you can get away with stealing it.

[skintmuso13]

"Also I don't want to pay any artist for something that has no value."

If it has no value then why do you want it all?
Why do you steal something that has no value?

"Thats why so many people pirate because in a way the RIAA is cheating us people, because when you buy a CD, sure you might only like 2 or 3 songs on it,"

there's plenty of retail sites you can go to buy ONLY the songs you want. but you dont want to pay at all do you? because you want to cheat the artist.

[skintmuso13]

"So is like raping people for $20 just to buy a crappy cd"
Anyone that thinks they have to buy an average PoP or Rock cd for $20 is telling lies.

"These guys deal in millions, and still want more."
U2 and other mega bands only account for 1% or less of the band that out there.When you steal music you steal from all artist not just the megabands.

"That is like saying the power company is responsible for a terrorist creating a bomb."
If the power company doesn't provide protection against terrorism, then the PC is at fault, as is the gun man/killer who pulls the trigger (not the gun), as is the ISP Boss who doesn't provide filters in his network to prevent piracy.It's not the servers that should pay their way its the ISP bosses & politicians who allow theft that should be in prison.

It would be nice if you music theives replying, could provide your job description, so I can tell you how technology can replace your job, and why your work isn't worth paying for.

If you don't like the band then don't steal it. dont listen to the band, or at least be honest, and say your stealing it because you don't want to pay artist, and stop coming up with sad excuses to justify your theft.

If your working for a technology company well that just an excuse for extorting a share of the content business , by creating systems to steal the content, and then asking the content companies to pay for your services to provide the content digitally. except that very few ppl want to pay for digital content.